


north dakota

by psychiatrist_returning



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Politics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:28:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28591785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psychiatrist_returning/pseuds/psychiatrist_returning
Summary: Toby knows that you're in love with Sam.
Relationships: Sam Seaborn/Reader
Kudos: 1





	north dakota

**Author's Note:**

> from my tumblr, psychiatristreturning

You were working in the White House. 

You were working in THE White House. While you had started working there about six months ago with Toby Ziegler and Sam Seaborn, you had taken an immediate liking to Sam. But you were a professional, essentially, your job was to assist in speech writing and help articulate ideas in speeches and statements. The president had brought you on to assist in the higher amount of speeches and statements that needed to be written during the reelection campaign and neither Sam nor Toby were complaining. Any night they didn’t have to stay up working until 2 am was a good night, and you had helped cut the workload down. So, you had stayed in the White House and joined the communications department. 

‘Bonk!’, you looked up from your notebook and looked around, it stopped. ‘Bonk!’ once again you looked up, frustrated enough at the chatter outside your office. The noise stopped again, and you relaxed, resuming your statement about some absurd claim about President Bartlet being a lizard. ‘Bonk!’, there it was again, “Toby Ziegler! If you throw that ball again I am going to kill you!” It went silent in his office then, a soft, ‘Bonk!’. You stood up from your desk, throwing your notebook down, you marched into his office looking at Toby who glanced up at you like a wounded puppy. “Legally, I can’t kill you on the White House grounds.”

“Legally, you can’t kill me anywhere,” 

“I think at this point North Dakota is fair game.” 

“Remind me never to go to North Dakota with you.” 

You scoffed, “Are we going anytime soon?” 

Toby’s eyes widened comically, and he pointed between the two of you, “We aren’t. That’s for sure.” 

At that moment, Sam Seaborn walked into Toby’s office, “Alright I don’t know what’s happening but Y/N, no murder.” 

You shuffled your feet, “Well, you’re no fun.” the three of you began an uncomfortable silence, then you felt a piercing gaze upon you, only to look up and see Sam quickly look away from you. “Okay, I got to go finish a statement of the president’s alleged lizard status.”

Sam too took that as a cue to leave and sharply turned and left the office, and as you were about to leave Toby threw the ball at the middle of your back, “Hey!” 

You turned to him, “Close the door for a second, please.” the door shut, and you looked at him, annoyed. A rare smile began to form on his face, “You like Sam,” you shifted your gaze to anywhere except Toby.

“No, I don’t,” the man began laughing softly to himself.

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve ever heard, and Sam, oh boy, he likes you.” he flicked his hands at you, “Now go, finish your lizard statement,”

“Yay.” you said unenthusiastically with sad jazz hands. 

~~~~

That afternoon you couldn’t focus. Could what Toby said be true? Surely it isn’t. Sam is just, to good for you. So you went to a woman you could trust, and you had befriended, Donna Moss. You had tracked her down to the cafeteria and sat at the two-person table with her. “Josh is coming,” she said as soon as you sat down, she looked up at you, “Oh, Y/N. It’s you. In that case Josh can go to hell.” he walked up to the table, looking quite hurt. 

“Y/N, sorry.”

Donna looked him dead in the eye, “She’s of a higher priority to me,” 

“Okay,” he dragged out the ‘o’ and shuffled away, presumably back to his office. 

Donna looked at you, “What do you need?” 

“I am very confused, and kind of happy, yet also dumb.” 

She nodded sagely, “That’s a lot.”

“Yeah,” you grabbed her hand and leaned toward her, “Toby thinks that I have a crush on Sam! Ridiculous, right?” you rubbed the back of your neck awkwardly. 

“Well,” Donna looked you dead in the eye, “Why would you dwell on it if you don’t have a crush on him?” 

You threw your hands up, “I don’t know! I said I was confused! Do I? No! But, maybe! I’m so dumb.”

“Y/N, you would only be stressing over this if you do like him. And also the entire White House knows,”

“Knows what?”

“It’s pretty obvious how much you two care for each other,” she laughed, “Frankly I’m surprised it was Toby who brought it up first!”

“Oh my god,” you ran your hands through your hair, “I do like him, don’t I?” 

“You’re the last one to know, honestly.” 

You jumped up from your seat and ran upstairs to your office, yelling, “Thank you, Donna!” to the small blonde woman who sat laughing. 

As you walked down the long hall to your office you stared down at your shoes, not paying attention to where you were going, relying on muscle memory. That was until you rounded the corner to your office and opened the door, seeing Sam stand there looking at you. “Hey! I was just waiting for you I have something for you to review,” he held up a few papers.

You sent him a strained smile, “Thanks, Sam.”

He looked at your worriedly, “Are you alright?”

“Just peachy,”

~~~~

You were so incredibly bored, the only reason you weren’t asleep is because Sam was there, so you went for it, “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.” he put down his paper and looked at you intently.

“Do you like me?” you cringed at yourself.

“Y/N that’s extremely unprofessional,”

“I know, I’m sorry-”

“I never said I didn’t. I really like you Y/N, and by what you just asked I think you do too.”

“I do.” you smiled softly at him, “You want to have dinner together?” 

“I do.” he said mirroring your smile, “But remind me to never go to North Dakota with you.”


End file.
